Saw this guy recently lounging around the Tokyo train station.. He looks rather happy to see you, if you know what I mean! Anyways, I'll start my mangaka series as soon as I'm done with this meme! =^-^=

Day 27 - Place you avoid going to if at all possible.

- THE TRAIN. Sure there are trains everywhere, but if there is any other feasible choice I will not take them. - Smoky restaurants/bars/etc. Anywhere there is cigarette smoke I avoid if at all possible! Which means that a lot of the time I can't even go into an otherwise yummy-looking restaurant. (Since Japan still has no laws on smoking inside)- In terms of places (as in locations) in Tokyo, there's no area that I dislike per se. I'm not picky!

Day 28 - A picture of you looking like a weaboo/A picture of you trying to blend in and failing. ONE (maybe two) of these does not belong. :O That was last year's JUMP Festa, btw! I used to have a better picture from years past, but I don't have them anymore (hard drive crash.. T-T). Speaking of which, it's less than two weeks away! I'd better take lots of pictures this year to make up for it! (Can I borrow anyone's camera?)

I never really saw the point in blending in, anyways.. why bother? ^^; Characters are way more interesting! Blending in is overrated.

Day 29 - What's the thing you [will] miss most about Japan when you leave (either on vacation, or move away)?

Leave Japan? Never permanently. But a few years ago, I went to America for a short vacation (Anime Expo yay!). The thing that I missed the most was.. you probably would never guess, but cold green tea! I never realized just how important it's become to me! How could I ever live without it???? ToT I definitely miss food that has become normal. So normal that it never occured to me that America might not have them. 24 years in America vs. 6 years in Japan. If I'm honest, I've lived a significant part of my life here!

Day 30 - Did Japan meet your expectations, both good and bad? What has been the most surprising thing about Japan for you, or the thing you least expected?

Hmm... yes and no. I guess, no. But that sounds like it's a bad thing. To be honest, I expected that I would just "absorb" japanese and be fluent in like, a year. But that didn't happen (obviously). I also expected that grocery stores would have everything I wanted, like in America. That's not the case in Japan. But with the exception of some things that I just can't live without (cheese, oatmeal), I've changed my tastes and broadened my horizons! I also expected that anime would be everywhere, in every single store, which isn't true. But it's probably better that way, lol. Maybe.

But to be honest, Japan turned out a lot better than I expected. I never expected to fall in love with it and want to stay forever! But the truth is, I can never, ever imagine moving away. Ever.

The Japan 30-day Meme ♡〜（ゝ。∂）

Day 01 - A picture of you "in Japan". (doing or wearing something "Japanese")Day 02 - Describe your neighborhood in Japan.Day 03 - Most interesting person you've met.Day 04 - What's your favorite place that's not in any of the guidebooks/lists of places to visit?Day 05 - Which, if any, Japanese mannerisms or expressions have you adopted?Day 06 - Food that you swore you would never eat but now love (or tolerate).Day 07 - Which Japanese words do you use in English? (hanami, shinkansen, etc.)Day 08 - Are you a Herbivore or Carnivore? S or M?Day 09 - Favorite stores/shopping centers.Day 10 - Something about Japan that sets it apart from anywhere else.Day 11 - What did you find most overrated and underrated about Japan?Day 12 - Describe a fail!gaijin moment. (Where you did something wrong or completely misunderstood because you couldn't ~read the air~ or just plain had no idea what you were supposed to do because you weren't born and raised here) Describe a gaijin!smash moment .(Where your foreignness was to your benefit)Day 13 - Favorite live event that you attendedDay 14 - What is the hardest thing about living in Japan versus your home country?Day 15 - Weirdest food item you've seen, and weirdest food item you've actually eaten.Day 16 - How you realised you'd acclimated to Japan. (if you have)Day 17 - Your karaoke top 5, your sushi top 5, your conbini top 5.Day 18 - Post some amusing/cute/faily purikura.Day 19 - Your favorite Japanese character(s) and Gachapon/UFO Catcher toysDay 20 - Favorite Japanese festival or folklore.Day 21 - Favorite and least favorite Japanese fashion trendsDay 22 - Your favorite Japanese saying or kotowaza (proverb)..Day 23 - What is something you have/do in Japan that you wish you had/could do in your home country?Day 24 - Your favorite Japanese slang or borrow-word (外来語), e.g. セフレ "sex friend"Day 25 - Most interesting vending machine find.Day 26 - What's your favorite/least favorite train line. Day 27 - Place you avoid going to if at all possible. Day 28 - A picture of you looking like a weaboo/A picture of you trying to blend in and failing. Day 29 - What's the thing you [will] miss most about Japan when you leave (either on vacation, or move away)?Day 30 - Did Japan meet your expectations, both good and bad? What has been the most surprising thing about Japan for you, or the thing you least expected?

Oh look, I finished!! :D I am going to write a book review next, and then manga manga manga! I'm excited to begin the journey after everyone's comments! Please comment if you haven't done so! =^-^= Maybe I should make a poll.. Does anyone know a good site for polls that allows people without ljs to vote?

I'm just wondering how you've managed to get a work visa after you stopped all your full-time jobs. Also, will it be difficult for the next 4 years? If you get married it's not an issue, but if not, then you'll have to wait another 4 years before you can apply for permanent residency, right? :(

Also, I'm really curious about it. When did you notice / decide that you would never leave Japan anymore?As you know we're exactly the same age, the only difference is that I've been in Japan for only 3 years, going into my 4th soon. And I still believe that I'll leave Japan in the near future (1-2 years from now?!).

I got my work visa right before I quit Konomi-sensei's studio, and it still has two years before it runs out. So I'm good there! If the rules change, I plan to get citizenship by the end of this. I won't give up my American citizenship though, so I'm waiting for them to change that stupid rule. Hurry up Japan!! Otherwise, I don't know. I guess I'll figure out what to do in two years! If I have to I'll get a spousal visa or something, but I'd rather not have it come to that.

After my first winter (about 3 months after I first arrived), I was pretty sure that I wouldn't leave. After a year I was almost 100% sure. I couldn't imagine going back to a place that has less to offer than here. I could never do the job I want anywhere else.

That's interesting.As far as I know (you might remember that I had a lot of issues with my visa and thus read a lot about it) you can't keep your current visa "legally" after quitting a job. There's a limit of 3 months after quitting your job. You then have to either find another job that sponsors your current visa or change your visa status. Well, I guess as long as you're not caught there shouldn't be a problem, though?! :/

And as far as I know it's IMPOSSIBLE for non-Japanese to get the Japanese citizenship. All you can hope for is the permanent residence thingie :/

But maybe things changed since last year? My info might not be up to date ^^;

Where did you read that? I remember reading that your visa was yours whether you changed your job or not. You just are limited to the same field of work as long as you have it. I was told the same thing when I worked for NOVA, too. I definitely need to check up on it, though. I can't remember where I heard it.

As far as impossible to get citizenship, that's very much not true, so don't worry! There was that white guy a few years ago who was a politician, but had citizenship. I don't remember his name though. And what about Arudo Debito? He's as white as can be, and from the US if I remember correctly, but he has Japanese citizenship (he didn't even give up his American citizenship, which he's talked about over and over on his site). There are quite a few others. :D So don't worry, it's definitely possible! I eventually am going to get it too, so that I can't ever get kicked out, unless countries are dissolved first.They will be eventually, but probably not soon enough for me, lol.

It's all over gaijnpot forums and stuff as there are a lot of people asking what happens to their visa after they quit their job and stuff :(

The visa is yours as in your employer can't take it from you when you quit a job, but you still need a sponsor. If there's nobody listed as your sponsor or if you change / quit your job you have to change the sponsor within 3 months. But yes, definitely check on that :(

Isn't Debito a huge exception, though?I don't mind either way though XDI just hope it's true, so you can do it in the future, too. Though I guess you probably have to go there from having permanent residenseship(sp?) for a few years??! No idea, though. Good luck with it :D

The website also says nothing about having to register a new sponsor three months after quitting, or about any ways your visa can be taken away from you. I don't plan to worry about it. It's annoying though, that if there is a law it's not readily available. The only place I can find that people are talking about this three-month rule is foreign forums (like gaijinpot, like you said), but what usually happens with those is that one person makes something up, and it gets repeated so many times that others think it's true. I think something like that is what's happening there, since there isn't any official information I can find. (well, I when I changed my visa last time I told them I hadn't worked for my old company for more than a year, and it wasn't even the same field, and they didn't seem to care at all).

Lol I have similar sentiments about my time overseas too! And I really miss authentic Vietnamese food (as Melb has a strong Viet migrant population), and living within walking distance of the city!! Well, hopefully I can go back to Aussie in the future, unless I end up somewhere else~ but yeah, living overseas really opens one's eyes and mind like no other experience can ~

LOL it totally depends on the statue. Actually I think naked always equals sexual in current society, whether people agree or not. But I like sexual! Most of the time. :D

Just not in giant bronze pigs. ;D You've gotta admit, those are some bedroom eyes, and with his legs spread and MANHOOD just lounging around... I bet the artist really loved his subject, as much as his subject seemed to have loved him :D :D :D

Great to hear that you are so happy to be living in Japan!There way too many people feeling miserable about where they are in life! It's good to hear that you don't regret such a radical decision! I hope you continue enjoying it!